The art of keeping a diary isn’t something new. 【小题1】 People keep diaries because they feel that there is something important enough in their lives to keep track of. However, one’s definition may differ from another’s point of view. Although many diaries are for personal satisfaction, others use it for business purposes, in order to keep a historical record for generations. 【小题2】

1. To record and recall events and issues

【小题3】 The diary can be a valuable tool to determine many things about past situations and events. You can look at recorded history as a mixture of diaries recorded by historians. Past records are all that we have to go on when we want to know history. If they are incorrect, the results can be deadly.

2. To honestly express your own thoughts and feelings

Many people are reflective and like to reflect on past situations and events. Recording thoughts and feelings will help others to understand why you do what you do along with past experiences which may have been either pleasant or unpleasant.

3. To have better self-reflection

This is similar to meditation (沉思). You reflect on past mistakes in order to avoid repeating them in the future. 【小题4】 I often reflect on the mistakes that I have made when dealing with circumstances, situations, and people. Sometimes people see diaries as an honest written self-assessment of situations which you may have been involved in, problems that you came across, and the steps that you took to solve them. It is often used in the workplace so that the incoming replacement will have an excellent idea of what to expect during performance of the job.

4. To increase vocabulary and improve writing skills

The only way to become more expert at performing a task is by doing it. Practice makes perfect and keeping a diary will help you to improve your communication and writing skills. 【小题5】